Our air conditioning experts
Need an expert in refrigeration technology?
When your cooling system or air conditioning unit is not working as expected, it can be quite inconvenient. Buying a whole new and expensive unit is an option, but not always necessary. Especially if only a repair is needed to get your air conditioning system up and running again. A specialist in cooling technology can help with that. If you contact a Klantdirect professional, you can be sure of a cooling technician who will provide you with optimal service and quality. And, of course, help you get rid of your air conditioning problem.
What is refrigeration technology?
You’ve probably heard about it before, but what exactly is refrigeration technology? Refrigeration is a term for various technical solutions to cool rooms, objects and substances. Heat is extracted from the cooling space and released elsewhere. Industrial refrigeration and air conditioning are based on the same mechanism: a fluid, usually water or air, is cooled by the evaporation of another fluid. The refrigerant circuit, the device that includes a compressor, evaporator, condenser and expansion, is an integral part of two systems.
The origins of refrigeration technology
As far back as over 3,000 years ago, natural ice cubes were used to preserve perishable foods for longer periods of time. The first plant for artificially producing ice appeared around 1860. From the beginning of the twentieth century, electricity was increasingly used as a power source for many refrigeration systems. After World War II, the development of refrigeration compressors finally took hold. Refrigerators and freezers gradually began to take on an indispensable function in the household. Today, they – like air conditioning – are even considered standard household equipment.
The air conditioner as a cooling system
The air conditioner is a device that we can consider a marvel of modern technology. An air conditioner is a system used to cool a room by removing heat from the environment and moving it to an outdoor area. Cold air can be moved inside – if necessary – through vents. The unit’s main job is to lower the air temperature in a controlled environment and to dehumidify it. Most air conditioning units cool the indoor air through a process called a refrigeration cycle. Some air conditioners use evaporation or refrigeration to lower the room temperature. These computers generally use a 110 VAC or 220 VAC power supply. Air conditioners work in the same way as a heat pump, but their cycle is known as cooling. To cool, a refrigerant is processed in several steps.
How does an air conditioner work
An air conditioner works according to the simple cooling cycle. As part of a central cooling system, an air conditioner extracts thermal energy from the home and releases it to the outside air. You have many types of air conditioners, but they all work based on the same principle. Air conditioners are capable of changing the temperature, humidity or general air quality. More specifically, an air conditioner makes your home cooler by taking heat energy from the home and transferring that heat outside, then replacing the air in your home with cooler air.
In a simple air conditioner, such as a window unit, the refrigerant in volatile liquid form passes through a type of radiator known as the evaporator, through which air enters the room. The refrigerant evaporates on contact with the radiator, absorbing heat from the air in the process. The cooled and dehumidified air is returned to the room by means of a fan. When cooled air reaches saturation point, the moisture condenses on the radiator fins. The water runs through the cooling fins and into the drains. Meanwhile, the evaporated refrigerant goes to a compressor, where it is pressurised and forced into another radiator – known as the condenser – which is in contact with the outside air.
Under these conditions, the refrigerant condenses back into liquid form and releases the heat absorbed in the chamber to the air squeezed between the fins of the condenser. This hot air is expelled to the outside and the refrigerant flows through the expansion device, lowering the temperature to cooling levels due to the pressure change. The refrigerant completes the cycle again and passes through the evaporator to continue the cooling process. In some units, the two sets of radiators can reverse functions, so that in winter, the internal radiator condenses and heats the refrigerant instead of cooling the room. Such a unit is known as a heat pump.
What are the benefits of air conditioning?
Did you know that air conditioning not only makes the room temperature much more comfortable, but can also offer several health benefits? In addition to cooling or heating the ambient air, the unit has many other beneficial functions. With an air conditioning unit, you create a more comfortable environment, with the most appropriate temperature and humidity, cleaner, fresher and healthier, without moisture or formation and mould, without drafts or noise. Most air conditioners offer several functions:
• provides cooling – Basic function of air conditioning units. Through the cooling system, it contributes to cooling and precise control of room temperature.
• Provides heating – For units with an inverter function, which can be used to cool or heat the room. These units are a total solution for home air conditioning, where the air conditioning can also be used for heating thanks to a heat pump. This is a greener alternative to traditional heating, as energy from the outside air is used to bring it into the home.
• Purifies the air – Air conditioners are equipped with filters that remove dust, pollen and vapours from the air and help provide clean and healthy air. Depending on needs, filtration levels can be increased. For people with allergies, filtration is essential, but filters require regular maintenance.
• Monitors dehumidification – The cooling mode of the air conditioner also dehumidifies the air. Proper humidity limits the growth of mites and mould, which in turn helps people with allergies. For humans, a humidity level of 40 to 60% is most comfortable.
• Provides ventilation – This function removes air from inside and provides fresh, conditioned air from outside. In intermediate seasons, such as fall and spring, when the air conditioner is not on, ventilation can operate independently.
• Increases comfort – Air conditioning provides a lot of comfort and relief from daily stress, as it allows for maintaining the desired temperature at any time of the day, even during hours of intense sunshine or just on very cold days.
• Prevents dehydration – By keeping the humidity level constant, the air conditioner helps prevent dehydration in the body. This benefit occurs because in environments with ideal humidity, the body does not sweat much, preventing you from losing moisture through sweat. Everyone benefits, but especially the elderly, babies, children and the sick, since they suffer the most from the effects of dehydration.
• Imprives a good night’s sleep – In the bedrooms, these devices guarantee a pleasant night’s sleep. This benefit of air conditioning can, evenly and directly, affect our performance in daily activities the next day, as a good night’s sleep is invigorating.
The cost of refrigeration technology
Here you will find more about the cost of air conditioning installation in the home. As you can see, an air conditioner has a lot of benefits, but what if it breaks down? How much do you pay for air conditioner repair?
The costs basically depend on:
1. What needs to be repaired
2. Is the air conditioner covered by warranty / is the repair covered under the warranty conditions
3. Which refrigeration technician you hire.
1: The AC part that needs to be repaired will determine your total repair cost. Consider the cost of the part (if it must be replaced) and the labour cost to repair or replace the part.
2: If your unit is still under warranty, you will pay much less in repair costs. Your air conditioner should have two types of warranties, namely parts warranty and labour warranty.
3: The refrigeration specialist you hire to repair your air conditioner will determine how much you pay in labour costs. However, a refrigeration technician is not someone you want to cut back on. Why? Simply because good refrigeration technicians do a better job, and that’s certainly true of the air conditioning specialists affiliated with Klantdirect. They have the experience and know-how to correctly repair your air conditioning unit so that it lasts longer. Affiliated cooling technicians and experts of Klantdirect are licensed and insured. They will discuss the best solution models and the costs involved with you.